As all homeowners know, owning your own home is no cheap task. There are multiple bills that have to be taken care of, such as the mortgage, landscaping, utility, and trash bills. However, there are multiple ways to save on these bills, and the following list of tips to save money on your energy bills will help to greatly reduce the cost of owning your own home. This list of free and simple improvements to make around your home are incredibly easy and will be saving you money in no time.

Automate your thermostat, or use a Post-It note for a reminder.

During the summer, you can set your thermostat to as high of a temperature as you are comfortable with, and during the winter, you can set it as low as you feel comfortable with. By doing these two simple, easy things consistently, you can save hundreds on energy bills throughout the whole year. You can also buy automatic thermostats, which can learn your routine and automatically set the temperature to be more comfortable while you are home and less comfortable when you are away. The most widely recommended automatic thermostat is a Nest thermostat.

Give your air conditioning unit some air.

Oftentimes, outdoor air conditioning units are surrounded by smothering bushes or other shrubs. By simply making sure to keep these trimmed and giving your A/C unit a one foot clearance on all sides, you can significantly reduce the energy usage of your air conditioning unit. Also, pay special attention to the cleanliness of your air conditioner. Make sure to keep all filters clear of debris and dirt.

Block out the sun.

By simply closing the blinds and curtains in your home during the hot summer days, you can reduce the need to air conditioning. Many people underestimate the heating capability of the sun even through windows, but it can still heat rooms significantly. By blocking it out using special curtains, you can save on your energy bills by decreasing the need for air conditioning.

Use fans.

Many people underestimate the usefulness of a common fan, but it has been reported that they can make a room feel up to seven degrees cooler, which is an incredibly significant amount, especially during the dog days of summer. They can also help to circulate the air better, which can reduce the need for your air conditioner or heating unit to constantly have to be working.

Take shorter, cooler showers.

For those who take long, steaming showers, the steam from the showers greatly adds to the overall heat in your home, which, during the hot summer days, means that your air conditioning has to work harder to keep your home cool. By simply taking shorter or cooler showers (or both), you can save several dollars each month. You could even buy a budget faucet for your shower to help make showers even cheaper.

Change your HVAC filters.

By changing your HVAC unit’s filters twice a year — or even up to four times a year — you can greatly increase your machine’s efficiency, and thus decrease the amount of money you have to spend on energy to power it.

Hang your clothes to dry.

This handy trick is as old as time, but it kills two energy suckers with one stone. It not only completely erases the need to spend money on dryer energy, but it also means that your dryer will not be releasing unnecessary heat into your home, which in turn means that you air conditioning unit has to work harder to cool your home.